Another good piece Monte. So well written, I am not sure there is much room to squeeze in a few points, so I will only make a couple!

Off the cuff (being at work has its disadvantages), I am hearing a commentary on authority. I enjoyed the reference to Xia. Suck a linking back could almost start a discussion as to whether anti-authoritarianism comes from nature or nurture. But as with most things in life, I believe it to be somewhat of both.

On the one hand, we are animals (I sometimes think we are not so far removed from our more pack like hominids—but our current displays of state violence would be an insult to their better natures). We are said to have basic freight or flight impulses that have influence on our decision making. To what degree an individual is able to rationally interrupt such biological responses I leave to the psychologist. But the point being, that a lower cast of animal group would take the opportunity to be an alpha – the ability to eat well along with the desires of mating are not simply the purview of animals alone!

However, even in animals an argument could be made that such behavior is learned. That if animals could just learn a different way of group behavior, dominance issues could be settled in more civilized ways.

Which leads to the question of nurture. I seem to remember a class discussion on why many 1960’s “counter-culture” actors dressed in western fashion. Cowboy boots and hats, along with a new fascination with native American beliefs and dress were said to have been learned from 1950’s television shows. The image of the rugged individual, alone in the wilderness, and certainly not taking orders from the law, made for a perfect display of anti-authoritarianism during the 60’s. I have certain reservations to the degree of this idea, but it does help to highlight anti-authoritarianism as being a learned and—thankfully—desirable quality.

The complexities of authority in the contemporary world go far beyond such simple questions as nature or nurture. But I think as you have show with your own self reflection, individual questioning as to how we understand authority is the only way to begin a more thoughtful discussion on such a topic of great importance!

But there I go questioning authority structures again!

All the Best Monte

A note from the applied world.

Recently, I was invited by a hospital to present data to a group of physicians, nurses and med students. This is one of the highlights of my job. It warms my heart to see the data we collect used at the local level. As an invited guest, my prep work is simple. Book a flight. Create brightly-colored data pies. Show up on time with my personality in tow.

Now I know to call security before accepting an invitation to present hospital-level data to hospital folks at the hospital in the hospital boardroom.

Before I made it to the boardroom, a security officer stopped me. He pointed to my Federal ID and asked for my hospital badge. I explained that I was in town for one day only. A guest. An invited guest.

I was asked to follow him outside and across a field to a small building surrounded by a chain link fence. He called the boardroom and explained that I would be late.

At this point I thought I might need a visitor sticker. The thought bubble above my head read, "Is there a guest book I failed to sign? Explain the hoops Man! I'm ready to jump. I don't want to be late for this gig."

The security officer pointed to a seat, and I sat. The physician who invited me to present rushed into the building. His hair was disheveled, and his face reddened. It was good to see a real person again!

He spoke to the security officer who now had a team. I was moved to another room. After twenty minutes, the doc popped his head into the room and apologized. He said he hoped I'd return next month.

What???

The Human Resource clerk was accompanied by a nurse and security. She brought forms in triplicate. I explained that I wasn't a hospital employee. I was invited to a one hour meeting. She asked me if I wanted future invitations.

The pledge that I'd had chicken pox at age four and the state background check were the simplest of hoops. For your pleasure, I was going to detail everything she required of me, but it reads like fiction.

I will return next month with my child and adult shot records in hand. My passport and background papers are in order. I've purchased a wallet meant to hold said documents.

When I see that wallet in my home, I want to scream. It is a symbol of a much bigger bother. That wallet makes me want to dye my hair pink or get a tattoo or pierce the shit out of my face.

I hear you Monte. Keep talking!

you are simply hilarious.
i hope to be like you when i grow up.
;)

This was some great writing!! I had seen the word once before on a scrabble game but never saw it used.

A wise man once told me that sleepwalkers roam this Earth never contemplating what it must be like to question those in positions of power. Sleepwalkers, I was told, are everywhere. Education, gumption, and moxie are among the ways to combat this rapidly swelling epidemic of complacency. Thank goodness I have been wise/lucky enough to seek my education from various anti-establishment sources and courageous enough to invoke the remaining traits often and with verve. Perhaps this is why, more and more, I find myself agreeing with the dissenting judges in the case law I read. Perhaps this is also why I have never been afraid to take on the big guns for a good cause. And perhaps this is also why I felt a sort of kindred spirit-type association with the man who warned me about sleepwalkers.

Monte, have you ever seen the movie "They Live" with Rowdy Roddy Piper? It is people like you that help to place those essential and elucidating sunglasses on the noses of those who would otherwise be sleepwalkers.

~Porcia

That's funny. I had a similar experience in my high school library. There were 4 very comfortable chairs near the rows of computers in the library. For some reason, these chairs were reserved only for teachers, even if there were no teachers present. Needless to say, I sat in one until our Big Brother like librarian told me I couldn't. Obviously, I argued with him until I was allowed to remain. (It's scary to think that people hold onto the smallest ounce of power with a death-grip. Why do
we feel like we have to be stronger, better or more powerful than others? There's never a competition over whose nicer or kinder or more generous.)

Anyway, several months later, in creative writing class, we were
given the opportunity to write an episode of Seinfeld as a final project. Well, we included the library in the script, filmed it in the library and actually got the Big Brother librarian to appear in it as a totalitarian librarian that wouldn't allow people to check out books without handing over DNA samples and so on...

Score one for the good guys...

Hoffy

I knew you guys had it bad in the states, but this was acctually kind of shocking. As a norwegian I have for a long time warned my fellows that "we are all prisoners here", et cetera; but this can be quite hard to see if your eyes havent already been opened.

'Cause here, in Norway, you only get fucked if you stray to far: if you dont possess the will or ability to gain the nescessary cultural capital to play "their" game. (Or, if you are stoopid enough to attempt travel with an areoplane; then all bets, and civil rights&liberties, ofcourse, are off.)

Pulling SS-stunts on a sociology professor, who obviously knows the game, is quite unthinkable in civilized northern Europe. So if "they"
t r y to fuck with a guy like you I can only imagine the pain, suffering and degradation of the common man in the Home of the Free.

... I have asserted in many a late nigth discussion (in a provocative manner) that the U.S of A is and have been in a d e f a c t o state of civil war at the very least since the 70's: It would, dear sir, be very interesting to see a man of your credentials and tempremental disposition blogging thougths on that subject.

how did I miss this? gr8 post! I only remember uni administration rules too well, our responsibility was to break them after all (wink, wink)

here is a big brother story... in Kenya at the American Embassy where I went to re-new my visa a few years ago. While lining up, someone moved towards the security check-point before the security guard "allowed" him to, and I kid you not, this man who had lined up at the Pearly Gates from 5am (it was now 9am) was sent to the back of the line. I began to say something, and was asked if I wanted to be sent home. Well, my flight to Mpls was leaving the next day, so I could not afford this luxury :(